Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks

The Rickshaw is a not-so-hidden gem among northend dive bars! Get dinner and a beverage, or two, in the heart of Greenwood! Listen for fun facts about dance marathons, pole sitting, and more. No, we will not be grabbing the karaoke mic this evening but we will be swappin' tall karaoke tales. Recorded live at Rickshaw Restaurant & Lounge on 03/21/2024.

Follow the Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks podcast on Facebook (DLandSD), Twitter (@...

Our first pudding shots! We're at Leny's Place in Tangletown, nestled between Wallingford and Green Lake. This neighborhood bar is known for great burgers and unique liquor concoctions such as jell-o shots and "mystery shots." But we're here for the historic dive atmosphere and of course, the pudding. Listen in as we discuss Whatcha Drinkin' and wax poetic about the virtues of pudding shots. Recorded live at Leny's Place on 02/29/2...

Step into The Diller Room, a downtown Seattle joint that'll transport you to a time when speakeasies were the hottest spots in town. The bartenders here know their stuff and they'll whip you up a stiff drink that'll make you forget about the world outside. The vibe is vintage, the lighting is just right, and the drinks are strong enough to leave a lasting impression. Trust us, if you're looking for a place to get your drink on and ...

We kick off season 4 of DLSD at the T-Bird! Thunderbird Tavern, a beloved Seattle dive bar, is the perfect spot for a laid-back night out. With its classic neon sign, cozy interior, and friendly atmosphere, this Ballard neighborhood gem has been a local favorite for decades. Enjoy a cold beer, play a game of pool, and immerse yourself in the tavern's rich history. The Thunderbird Tavern's no-frills approach and welcoming vibe make ...

You can't drag yourself out of the gutter without hitching a ride on a Comet. A cornerstone of the Capitol Hill neighborhood's blue-collar history, and one of Pike Street's most famous watering holes. So much history and criminal exploits to explore at the Comet Tavern, we can't cover it all in one episode. But don't even get Sweet Lou started on the parking situation. The tunes get cranked up as the night progresses and we can tak...

Is it a lounge or a tavern? Either way, North City Lounge & Grill in the heart of Shoreline is one great dive bar. Some patrons call it a tavern, some bartenders call it a lounge, and we call it the crown jewel of Shoreline's North City neighborhood. Built in 1927 - with pictures to prove it - this patina'd booze joint started out as a grocery store and now stands as Shoreline's oldest continuously operating business. Recorded live...

Not technically in Seattle, we give Engel's Pub in Edmonds a pass since it's darn close to Seattle and it's hometown to our own resident historian Brad Holden. This local dive bar is so cool, a couple of patrons buy us a round of Jello shots. How cool is that? And if that wasn't enough to bring smiles to our booze-loving shot holes, we also get free leftovers from world-famous Moto Pizza! Recorded live at Engel's Pub - just down th...

Join the gang as we venture to another of North Seattle's finest! The Caroline Tavern, a real "everybody knows your name" type of bar where nobody actually knows the bar's name because there's literally no signs anywhere. Well, actually there is one but only true bar flies know where it is. Listen to tales of neighborhood capers and local union bosses. May or may not be in Shoreline. May or may not be within Seattle city limits. Th...

Special episode! We record right in the heart of Pioneer Square's inaugural Summer Market and Music Festival. Across the street from the festival main stage in Occidental Park is The Meyer bar, owned and operated by our good friend Avout. Not only do we chat with Avout about the history of The Meyer, Lloyd Gregory the mastermind behind the Summer Market stops by to tell us about putting together downtown Seattle's funkiest music fe...

Everyone knows that Capitol Hill is the center of the universe. Recorded live at The Crescent Lounge on 05/22/2023.

Follow the Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks podcast on Facebook (DLandSD), Twitter (@divebarsseattle), YouTube, and Instagram (seattle_dive_bar_podcast). Share, like, follow, and subscribe!

Check out the Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks podcast website (dimlightspodcast.com) for more details and additional episodes.

We pretend to be locals and venture back to old stomping grounds for a visit to Sully's Snowgoose Tavern in Phinney Ridge. An eclectic mix of beer styles, Bavarian architectures, and old Seattle history, Sully's has all the charm of a classic dive bar with the added bonus of a fantastic tap list. Not one but two nitros, and not one but two genuine classic German beers on tap sets Sully's apart from the riffraff. If it wasn't confus...

Listen as special guests River and Gordie help us tell the history of the Virginia Inn, on the northern edge of Pike Place Market. And learn more about downtown Seattle history as we explore the Market neighborhood! Recorded live at Virginia Inn on 04/19/2023.

Follow the Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks podcast on Facebook (DLandSD), Twitter (@divebarsseattle), YouTube, and Instagram (seattle_dive_bar_podcast). Share, like, follow, and...

Folk music flows as easy as the drinks at Fiddler's Inn in the Wedgwood neighborhood. Don't get Sweet Lou started on the spelling of Wedgwood because he'll lecture you on classic English porcelain. Fiddler's is part cottage, part dive bar, and part local music scene. But it's an entirely good time and the band's literally right next to us! Recorded live at Fiddler's Inn on 03/23/2023.

Follow the Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks podcast...

Nothing anchors a neighborhood like a good dive bar, and Hatti's Hat has been a staple in Ballard since 1904. Booze, gambling, and...soft drinks? Sure. Like a few dive bars we visited in season 2, Hattie's Hat has an epic mural painted by a famous local artist. But this mural's got a crazy story behind it and we're more than happy to embellish that story on air. Definitely no trash-talking the classic Brunswick bar because that thi...

We put the "old" in Old 5th Avenue Tavern by discussing the memorabilia in Maple Leaf's oldest watering hole. But that's not all. We also name-drop, shamelessly plug, pull some tabs, and freak out about criminals drinking right next to us. Real mystery beers on tap plus a special barely-legal guest! This neighborhood hangout is quite possibly Maple Leaf's first and - arguably - best dive bar. Recorded live at Old 5th Avenue Tavern ...

We kick off season 3 with a bittersweet farewell to The Northlake Tavern & Pizza House in the University district. The Northlake has been a favorite pizza, beer, and sports hangout for U-district locals since 1954. But like the fate of many Seattle-area dive bars, this beloved pizza joint will close its doors at the end of January when longtime owner and head pizza chef Abdullah retires. Special guest Cynthia Brothers from Vanishin...

We wrap up season 2 with a doozy! Shorty's Coney Island is way more than a dive bar, it's a true Seattle institution. Drinks, pinball, history, and celebrity guests make Shorty's a can't-miss listen. We bring back great friend and Shorty's owner Avout for a rap session - let's call it a wrap session - about pinball, dive bar history, stickin' in to the man, and the awesomeness that is boozy slushy machines. Want to know more about ...

On this episode the boys venture to West Seattle to learn about the Poggie Tavern and hear stories of "Big Jim" the bartender, discover a local who has decided to make the Poggie his home postmortem, and pull tabs galore. Let's listen! Recorded live at Poggie Tavern on 12/12/2022, one of our last episodes of 2022!

Follow the Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks podcast on Facebook (DLandSD), Twitter (@divebarsseattle), and Instagram (seatt...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Join us as we talk about some of our favorites dive bars that are no longer here! Recorded "live" on 11/22/2022 at the great dive bar in the sky; in other words over a Zoom call. Not quite a full Dim Light & Stiff Drinks podcast episode, this Turkey Day mini episode should tide you over until the next legit episode drops.

Follow the Dim Lights & Stiff Drinks podcast on Facebook (DLandSD), Twitter (@d...